butterfyeffect

I can't chug a whole glass of Water in a few seconds like I used to, but I also don't just sip anymore. I can drink a few swallows at a time, wait 5 or 10 seconds, and repeat. May take a few minutes to drink a 16 ounce glass of water.

Protein shakes were my go-to when I went back to work as well. I knew I could tolerate them, and other foods were still hit-or-miss for awhile. But greek yogurt seems like another good option. I would definitely save the eggs for days off, because reheating them does make them tough. Or have them for dinner!

@@Tamlyn Yeah, I've tried several different types of fish (Salmon, tilapia, and canned tuna). All lead to at least a sliming episode. After trying salmon one more time the other night I decided all fish is off the menu for a little while.

Wow, I could have written this post. For me it was between 3 and 8 weeks or so. I literally went almost a week throwing up everything I ate except for Protein shakes. I ate extremely slowly (3-4 minutes between bites), chewed each bite 30 or 40 times... nothing worked. I remember the first thing I ate that stayed down after that stretch; it was shredded up chicken, maybe a tablespoon of it, in broth. I almost cried out of happiness when it stayed down. From then on it got a little better each day. Now I'm almost four months out, and can eat pretty much whatever I want, except for my sleeve's weird reaction to fish, and mustard... I'm pretty much guaranteed to throw up, or at least slime with those. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that it will get better.

I read something that someone posted before my surgery, something that stuck with me. The post was titled "Rules to follow after your sleeve" or something along those lines. Anyway, the very first "rule" was to eliminate the word "only" from your vocabulary. I have tried very hard to follow that rule, and I think I'm much happier for it. Every time I want to say "I only lost a pound this week!" or "I've only lost 8 pounds this month!" I instead eliminate the "only". Those sentences become suddenly very optimistic: "I lost a pound this week!" and "I've lost 8 pounds this month!" Or, think of it this way if you will: Would you have lost 23 pounds in 8 weeks if you hadn't had your sleeve done? Or would you have stayed the same, or even gained? Don't ever feel defeated in this. It is a journey, not a destination.

Is that ursodiol? I take that. It made me a little sick to my stomach when I first started it, but now it doesn't. No other downside as far as I can see... hoping to not have to go under the knife again if I don't have to, so anything I can do to help me keep my gallbladder I am willing to do!

I had the sleeve, so it's a little different, but my mom had bypass and she eats the "real" version of most things. Exception being that she uses splenda in place of sugar, but that's due to being a diabetic; she did that before surgery too. But, she never had an issue with dumping syndrome, they say that's about a fifty-fifty shot whether you get it or not, and she was just one of the lucky ones.

I do Zumba on my Wii! I like it better than workout DVD's because you can switch up the workouts, if you want it longer or shorter, there's like 12 options for each length, you can also choose the intensity level you want. And if you still get bored with a workout, you can change the backdrop, from a club, to a pool party, etc. It also keeps track of the calories burned (but over-estimates them I think) and minutes you work out each week. Check it out!

I had IV dilaudid via the PCA pump in the hospital. It made me nauseous though, so I stopped pushing my button for it at about 3am the night after surgery. Once I passed my leak test the next day, they gave me the liquid lortab, which worked fine. Then they sent me home with vicodin pills, which I took once or twice a day for the first week. I bought liquid tylenol on the way home from the hospital, and mostly used that. When I first met with my surgeon, I had to sign something saying that I understood that he would only prescribe pain medications for the first 30 days after the surgery. I'm amazed that some people needed them for that long, because I really had no pain after the first week. All I've used for pain control since surgery, for headaches, sore muscles, cramps, etc. is Arnica. I used to need to pop 3 or 4 Aleve a day during my cycle, but haven't had a bad one since surgery. Fingers crossed that the weight loss has somehow helped that too!

3 months and 1 week out, down 48 pounds.

I hit my goal of 60-70g per day with one Protein shake. I don't know how I could eat enough food to get there without grazing all day.

She had major surgery, give her a week or two to recuperate! For some it can even take a month or more, my mom was that way when she had her Gastric Bypass. Just help her focus on getting all her fluids and Protein, and take supplements if recommended by her surgeon.

Great post! So much of your story sounds like mine... I originally thought I wanted the lap band too, but couldn't be happier with my decision. Looking foreword to reading about your journey!

I'm at the three month mark, and it has started... I can't believe I have 6 more months of this!!! I'm taking Biotin, B Vitamins religiously. I only wash my hair twice a week, and never blow dry it, in an effort to keep as much of it as I can! But every time I do wash it, lots falls out. My husband showed me what he took out of the shower drain, and it looked like half of my hair!

My surgeon said that soda is fine in moderation. I drink one or two a week, usually over ice. It doesn't seem to bother me at all, but I don't crave it like I used to. Oh, and I use straws all the time.

I was told to wait three months to eat raw fruits and veggies, so I did. Just added them back into my diet, have so far eaten two salads. The first time, I had some stomach cramping after, but I also had my period, so the salad may have had nothing to do with it. The second time was a few days ago, and it went fine. I've never been a big fruit person, so I haven't tried any raw fruits. Figure I don't really need the carbs anyway. One thing I have found that I don't tolerate is spicy foods, and it's driving me crazy! I love spicy food! It makes me so sad... I got a burrito bowl from Chipotle last night. Normally I would drench it in hot sauce, last night I just put a few drops in it, and it still was a little too much. I ate it, but was a little uncomfortable after. Other than that, randomly I've thrown up the last two times I've tried to eat tuna salad. So that's off my list for awhile. And any Protein that's too dry tends to not go well. Better if it's served with a sauce that I can wet it with a little.

Do it! It's fun once you start, I swear! We go in the evenings, so sometimes its a little cooler, and less humid. When it isn't, I just tell myself that if I get used to working out in 100% humidity, when it's 89 degrees out, it will be that much easier when the evenings get cooler in the fall!

I agree with @@Sleeveless in seattle. I am at 3 months now, and feel pretty much normal. But a new normal... you can read my blog about it!

You look great!!

I've been eating Boca burgers for most of my life! I don't like hamburger, usually replace it with ground turkey in recipes, but if I'm wanting a burger, they do the trick, and are a little easier to prepare than a turkey burger. They also make something called Smart ground, I think, that is the same type of Protein as the Boca burgers, but in ground-up form. It works well for chili, stuffed peppers, meat sauce... if you'd rather not go the ground turkey route. Unfortunately it's been hit-or-miss since surgery whether the Boca burgers agree with me. I think that has more to do with the mustard and pickles I like to eat on them, though. I'm still not doing that well with spicier stuff.

Couch to 5k is a training program that is supposed to take you from doing nothing (i.e.: the couch) to running a 5k in 4-8 weeks. You can do it via an app on your phone or iPod, or just google it, and follow the instructions they give you. I've gone through the online program a couple of times, just never stuck with the running after I completed it! This time I'm using the app, which so far is a lot more fun, for some reason... probably just the not having to keep track of time and distance myself anymore.

I'll be 12 weeks out tomorrow, and started running about two weeks ago. I didn't notice any extra fatigue or anything when I started. I've been weight-lifting since my surgeon cleared me to at four weeks... I also eat about 600-800 calories a day. I've always exercised though, maybe since I was already in okay shape before surgery has something to do with why it doesn't wear me out. I'll be interested to hear others chime in!

Went to a public beach yesterday wearing a two piece bathing suit!! (not planned ahead BTW or I probably would have changed) but didn't feel awkward at all!

I totally "cheated" on my pre-op diet, but with healthy, low carb things, like soy nuts, cheese cubes, etc. I was thrilled to hear from my hubby after surgery that my surgeon told him my liver was tiny which is the whole point of the diet, to shrink your liver!! So I guess what I'm saying is that if you're craving something to chew (which I was) just make it something low carb and high Protein, and you'll probably be okay!

I have avoided restaurants since my surgery, for the most part. But I do sometimes find myself commenting on how much, and how quickly my hubby eats. He will finish a massive plate of food way faster than it takes me to eat the half cup I serve myself. And then, like most of us, I remember that I was doing the same thing a few short months ago... I think it's how we Americans are raised, always in a hurry, always rushing, even though most of the time there is nothing to rush to. Even before surgery I was always asking my husband where he was rushing off to after a meal. We'd be sitting in a restaurant, I'd be finishing my drink, and he would be rattling his keys, ready to leave. Now I can't rush, so he has to wait for me!